A Vietnamese crosses the Bay of Bengal on a rowing boat to meet his wife in India
The Thai Navy on Thursday rescued a Vietnamese man who was rowing to reach India to meet his wife, who had been separated from her for two years due to the Covid-19 epidemic.
Hu Huang Hong left Phuket in southern Thailand at the beginning of March on a small inflatable boat carrying a few water bottles and bags of instant noodles.
The aim of this trip is to cross the Bay of Bengal to reach India, located about 2,000 km away, to see his wife, whom he has been away from for two years due to strict travel restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 37-year-old was spotted on Wednesday from a fishing boat near Thailand's Similan Islands, about 80 km from the mainland.
Captain Pechit Songtan of the Maritime Security Command Center in Thailand told AFP that the fishermen contacted the authorities who came to the rescue and arrested him.
The captain added that Hu Huanghong had no map, compass, GPS, or spare clothes and only had a limited amount of water.
The longing husband's journey began in Vietnam, from which he traveled to Bangkok.
When he learned that he needed a visa to enter India, he traveled by bus to Phuket, where he bought the boat.
Apparently, he was held back by headwinds and made little progress within two weeks of his journey.
Ho Huang Hong will be transferred to Phuket, where he will be questioned.
The Thai authorities have contacted the embassies of Vietnam and India to look into his case.
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